Allison Russell, 'In the Hour of Chaos'

As the cost of home ownership grows beyond the reach of a single family, multiple generations are finding ways to live together and split that mortgage.Cohabitating sure has its benefits, but nothing is perfect. In this episode, we speak with real estate agents, city planners and locals with lived experience about the ups and downs of having two or more generations under one roof. We're also taking your calls. So, if you have your own experience to share, you can reach us during the live show at 615-760-2000 or pop into chat on our YouTube livestream.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan.Guests: Liz Bottiggi and Lesa Cannon, North Nashville Residents Greg Claxton, Metro Nashville City Planner Kristen Darden, Real Estate Agent Kay Bowers, Nesterly Community Liaison

How do we honor people who were enslaved when the enslavers are at the center of so much of our history?For generations, Nashville’s portrayals of its Black history has lacked accuracy, as institutions have shied away from the legacy of American slavery.Today, we look at three well-known historical sites in Middle Tennessee: The Hermitage, Fort Negley and Travellers Rest. All have made recent efforts to adjust how they portray their history — but not everyone is satisfied with the approach.This episode was produced by Cynthia Abrams.Guests: Jamel Campbell-Gooch, community organizer and descendant of Esquire Hayes, who was enslaved at The Hermitage Dr. Aisha Francis, president of Franklin Cummings Tech and descendant of Hiram and Eveline Overton, who were enslaved at Travellers Rest Dr. Angela Sutton, Vanderbilt historian who studies Fort Negley Eola Lewis Dance, ethnohistorian and former CEO of James Madison’s Montpelier

The tank is full. The open road calling.Before you hit the highway, though, you have to make a few decisions about what you want to see, how much you can spend to get there and where to stop for snacks.Today, we look at the economics of a road trip: the local, national, and global events and factors driving gas prices; how places like Buc-ee's (aka the “Beaver Industrial Complex”) and Dolly's Travel Stop drive business beyond the pump; and what's new to see and do in Tennessee.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Megan Cooper, AAA spokesperson Chason Gordon, Texas Brands Reporter for Chron.com Jill Kilgore, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Daniel J Smith, Professor of Economics & Director Political Economy Research Institute, MTSU

A quote got back to Allison Russell from her daughter talking to the daughter of another artist: My mommy “just sings sad songs about her sad past.” She did win a GRAMMY for a song she describes as an open letter to her adopted father — a white supremacist — who abused her throughout her childhood. “Do you hate, or do you lust?” she sings in "Eve was Black."Always attuned to prophetic words, she accepted the challenge.On her new album releasing July 10, Allison Russell remains perfectly poignant but a bit more playful. She even includes her daughter’s school choir from the Explore! Community School in East Nashville on the first track.There's only one track on "In the Hour of Chaos" that doesn't include at least one collaborator, which is no surprise to Nashville Public Radio's senior music writer Jewly Hight, who calls Russell "the consummate collaborator." Aside from the school choir, Norah Jones, Devon Gilfillian, Joy Oladokun, Brittney Spencer and Sara Watkins all appear on the new album.Russell calls her circle of friends and collaborators "the Rainbow Coalition." And as you'll learn in this interview, you may already be part of the coalition and just don't know it yet.

Nationally, sparkler injuries accounted for 1,700 ER visits in 2024. This year, without much debate, the state legislature passed a new law this year allowing convenience stores to sell sparklers year round. Today we spend some time talking about fireworks safety and alternatives to pyrotechnics—including swarm drones in Clarksville.And we’re prepping for tonight’s hike in Shelby Bottoms for World UFO Day. Is actual nightlife may be more interesting than the UFO encounters? Plus, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is attempting to use eminent domain to kill an AI data center planned near the Nashville Zoo. We get the latest details and delve into the politics that might be motivating this unprecedented move.Guests: Caroline Eggers, environmental reporter, WPLN Stephen Elliott, metro reporter, Nashville Banner Michael Hunter, Clarksville Parks and Recreation Hazel Miller, naturalist, Shelby Bottoms Nature Center Dr. Anne Wagner, director, Vanderbilt Burn Center

It's been twenty years since the first Music City Hot Chicken Festival. Today, we get a little spicy with founder former mayor Bill Purcell and second generation proprietor of Prince’s Hot Chicken Andre Prince.Plus, retiring state house representative Caleb Hemmer joins for an exit interview. And Anita Wadhwani shares the latest on sick and disabled kids with questionable immigration status being turned over to authorities. A judge considers their fate this week.Live streaming available at youtube.com/@wpln and at wpln.org. All episodes also available through our podcast feed.Guests: Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-59), Tennessee State House Andre Prince, second-generation proprietor, Prince’s Hot Chicken Bill Purcell, former mayor, founder Nashville Hot Chicken festival Anita Wadhwani, senior reporter, Tennessee Lookout

 A batch of new laws take effect July 1, including rules that will reshape Tennessee's burgeoning hemp business. Many hemp producers are heading to friendlier states, but one explains why he's committed to stay despite tighter restrictions on THC.We drop in on Monday night's town hall organized by the NAACP Nashville chapter about the data center planned for Fisk University's historic campus. Some attendees left with more questions than answers, irritated that organizers did not allow the audience to speak.And we remember two community members who made an outsized impact. Nashville hip-hop artist Daisha McBride memorializes her friend, hit producer Tay Keith, with the mid-flight backstory of her "Birds" remix. And retired journalist Dwight Lewis details the contributions of Tennessee Tribune founder Rosetta Miller-Perry.Stream live at youtube.com/@wpln and wpln.org. The podcast is available after the live show airs.Guests: Marianna Bacallao, state legislative reporter, WPLN Camellia Burris, education reporter, WPLN Matthew Chapman, president and CTO, LabCanna Dwight Lewis, retired journalist

If you are taking care of a child and you have a parent over 65, you’re among millions across the U.S. in the same life stage.Nearly a quarter of all American adults — and half of all adults in their 40s — fall into this “sandwich generation” category, according to Pew research. And being in the middle of that sandwich can feel ... intense.HealthQ hosts Cara Anthony of KFF Health News and Blake Farmer of Nashville Public Radio, both in the sandwich generation themselves, are your approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. In this one-hour special about navigating health and caregiving, they tap researchers, physicians, experts, and their own personal experience to explore: Identity: When to start calling yourself a caregiver, and why it matters. FMLA: How to start a conversation with your boss about taking federally protected leave from work. Kids and mental health: How to know it’s time to take an anxious child to therapy. Early-onset cancer: What you need to know about spotting diseases that are on the rise among people under 50. The HealthQ team acknowledges the messiness, the humor, and the beauty of this season of life. Come on the journey with us.Guests: Denise Brown, caregiving coach and founder of Caregiving Years Training Academy in Illinois Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families in Washington, D.C. Paris Goodyear-Brown, licensed clinical social worker in Franklin, Tennessee Dr. Veda Giri, director of the Early Onset Cancer Program at Yale Cancer Center This installment is part of HealthQ’s reporting on caregiving among the sandwich generation. For more, check out the series wpln.org/healthq.HealthQ is a health series from reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. It’s a collaboration between Nashville Public Radio and KFF Health News.

Pride Month brings rainbow flags, parades, and celebration. But for many queer people in Middle Tennessee, it also raises a more complicated question: where do you actually belong the other eleven months of the year?Nashville has a long history of gathering places where queer residents can find community, visibility, and refuge. Some have endured for decades. Others have quietly faded or been displaced. The losses ripple through the communities that depend on them.Today we look past the festivities to examine something more fundamental: what it means for a space to feel safe, why these spaces matter so deeply to LGBTQ+ communities, and what is lost when they disappear. What emerges is a portrait of community infrastructure that often goes unacknowledged until it's gone—and what it takes to build it, sustain it, and fight for it.This episode was produced by Liv Lombardi.Guests: Sarah Calise, curator of Community Histories, Vanderbilt University Archives; founder, Nashville Queer History Project Ashley Hampton, executive director, Healing in the Margins; founder and clinical director at Hampton House Jerry Ivery, CEO, MashUp!

America's independence turns 250 this year, and the country is abuzz with commemorations, flags flying, and patriotic-fueled pride.But as we mark this milestone, what else should we be talking about? Our Roundabout panel, representing perspectives from across the political spectrum, examines the foundational issues America continues to grapple with, as well as the America 250 headlines making news today.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Maryam Abolfazli, former congressional candidate and founder of Rise & Shine TN Levi Ismail, Emmy-award winning journalist, NewsChannel 5’s investigative unit Chris Walker, founding partner, The Poplar Group